It is generally known to mount plastic fuel tanks at the midpoint underneath an automotive vehicle. Accordingly, the vehicle itself protects the plastic fuel tank. In addition, it is known to mount steel fuel tanks aft axle (behind the rear axle). However, when mounting plastic fuel tanks aft axle, the fuel tank must be protected from hot exhaust gases, especially if the exhaust pipe should rupture forward of the tank; protrusion from foreign objects, as may be the case during a collision or during off-road vehicle travel; and, protection from the rear chassis components, such as a shock absorber, should the same break from its mount. Various apparatuses exist which are aimed at protecting the plastic fuel tank. These apparatuses include shields mounted to the chassis of the vehicle to deflect foreign objects away from the tank or to protect the tank from the hot exhaust gases.
The inventors of the present invention have found certain disadvantages with prior art fuel tank shields. For example, the shields require additional mounting hardware to mount the shield to either the tank itself or to the vehicle's chassis. Further, these shields tend to completely surround the fuel tank and may not provide means to allow hot air surrounding the tank to either vent from the area between the tank and the shield, or alternatively, do not provide an effective means of deflecting hot air away from the plastic fuel tank.